Mom takes stunning photos as son explores the city one "playground" at a time
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- Beth Beckman is a traveler, writer, photographer and non-sleeper. She is the founder of the website Little Kid Big City and co-founder of the hyper-local culture curator site FomoFeedKids.
"Way before our little guy was born, I would tear open a copy of Time Out magazine with the same enthusiasm as children do on Christmas morning. After our little guy was born it upset me to see how many parents don't take advantage of this city. New York City has everything - from museums, parks, activities, and incredible art. We are so lucky - this is our backyard and most of it is free." said Beth.
To fill her weekends and spare time, she took her son to museums, art exhibits and other popular city sights. While exploring with her son, she started to document their adventures on camera.
Her friends encouraged her to start an Instagram account to share photos with family and friends. Her account that she called LittleKidNYC quickly went viral. It continued to grow and grow and grow and now has over 18 thousand followers.
Once the account was in popular demand for more posts, Beth was able to partner with like-minded companies and make it her full-time job.
Beth created a website, Little Kid Big City, to blog about her adventures and realized the need for child-friendly city sights. Her blog encourages parents of any age child to remember that the city is always open to exploring. You don't need to necessarily pay for these outings either.
Her posts include photos of her son, usually candidly checking out a new sight or exhibit. Her captions give a description of what is pictured, where to find it and other details for parents.
Beth has now partnered with a similar account called FomoFeedKids, which showcases a curated mix of the best, unmissable experiences for city adventurers and their little sidekicks.
Recently, Beth had the idea to write a book series related to her account. The children's picture book series will be about what Beth and her son know and love - New York City!
Based on their real-life explorations and inspirations, the book will allow children to explore New York City like never before.
Beth took to Instagram to find an illustrator. She searched hashtags and scrolled through hundreds of accounts.
One night, she discovered Holley. Holley Maher is a talented self-taught illustrator from Nashville. Holley owns a stationery company, Wink Wink Paper Co, that sells greeting cards, wrapping paper and portraits all over the world. She is also a pop singer-songwriter in a band called VALA.
We sat down at the Children's Museum of the Arts to discuss their upcoming book series. Beth and Holley are excited to see what the future brings.
After our interview, Beth gave us a behind-the-scenes look at a mini photoshoot with her son as he checked out thePeanuts mural installation.
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